Contagion
by ChristineFury
Summary: A look at one of Thrax's conquests...that wasn't all his own. What happens when two viruses of lethal pathogenic abilities butt heads? Will they work together or try to destroy one another? M for cursing and implied content.
1. Chapter 1

It was a typical day in the city of Christine. Temperatures were steady at the usual 97.4 Fahrenheit, traffic was at a good pressure, and immunity was having a good day, with little to no disturbances. Immunity officer Aria Fission was in a good mood as she walked outside to meet her partner, wiping her mouth clean of her recently finished breakfast. Her partner, the rookie Jesse Gram, waited for her in the squad car, his arm draped out through the open window, a grin on his face.

"Hey Aria. Lookin' good this morning," he said smoothly.

"Don't start this mornin', Jesse," she retorted, but she smiled anyway as she buckled up. "We don't have time to be fooling around. Got a shot coming in this morning, and we need to make sure we get our new shot picked up and taken to the precent for a debriefing."

Jesse rolled his eyes and grinned before pulling the car out and heading out into traffic.

"Don't worry, hon, we'll get there in time," he said, turning the stereo on, blaring it. Aria folded her arms over her chest, smiling wryly, turning the music down a tad. She ignored his protests and gave him a Look.

"Why are you so worried, Aria? It's a shot. The virus will be attenuated, and harmless. Just a sneak to watch out for the unaltered thing. You worry over nothing, babe," he said, reaching for the volume knob again. Aria pushed his hand away.

"Sometimes the viruses aren't attenuated, Jesse, and you know that. This is also a new vaccine the military came out with. With our girl Christine being sent to Brazil for six months, she had to get vaccinated against the Brazilian Hemorrhaging Fever. There's only been a few cases, and we're not sure this vaccine will be effective or not. That aside, we don't know if our virus would haul cytoplasm if immunity isn't there to pick him up," she lectured. Jesse snorted and gave up his efforts to turn up the music further.

"I know, I know. I got enough of the lecture from the Chief," he said, leaning against the door, one arm hanging out the window, steering with one hand as he wove through traffic. Aria scowled.

"Why are you treating this like it's not a big deal? We need to be careful, Jesse."

"I just don't think picking up shots is exciting. I never get to handle the good stuff, Aria. The boys get to handle the things like the staph infection we had last year, or the bout of swine flu that snuck past before the shot arrived. Instead of getting to handle the bad boys, we get stuck with the dumbed down shots," he said, scowling like a spoiled child.

Aria sighed. She'd heard this whining before. Jesse didn't get that he was still a rookie. He'd only been in the force a few years and didn't have the second nature of a cop like she did. She missed the chase, too, but someone had to be his mentor, and she was patient enough to put up with his whining about wanting action, and his boasting about how he could whoop ass and take names.

"I know you want action, Jess, but everyone has to start somewhere. I was a rookie like you, too. I wanted action. I thought I was untouchable. I just needed a chance," she said gently. Jesse looked at her before flicking his gaze back to the vein traffic.

"You obviously got your chance, seeing as you're my mentor now," he said morosely. "No one will give me my chance."

Aria sighed. She thought about telling him how she blew her first chance, but she knew it would only sound patronizing to him right now, so she thought of something else. She knew he was slightly demoralized that he'd be showing up to pick up a deadly virus with a female cop as his superior. The thought of that slightly irked her, as she figured she deserved her spot as the superior, but she decided to let him take some initiative.

"Tell you what, Jess. How about I just watch, and you take control of our boy," she said. Jesse looked at her incredulously.

"Really? Really Aria? You're going to let me handle this one?" He asked in excitement. Aria smiled and nodded.

"Yes, but I'm warning you, Jess. If it gets out of hand, I will step in. We can't use excessive force on shots- they're under the Virus Protection Program and we can't HURT them without due cause- but I will help if he gets too wily," she said carefully. Jesse nodded, excited.

"Don't you worry, Aria. You won't regret this! I promise!"

**o0o0o**

Christine fidgeted on the examining table. It was odd being the one on the table when she was usually the nurse tending to the patient. Commander Hobb tapped the syringe, squirting the excessive fluid out to ensure no air bubbles. Christine held out her arm, the upper left shoulder already bared and wiped clean with alcohol.

"You're a pro at this," Commander Hobb laughed. Christine gave a wry grin.

"Well, I did get poked and prodded with needles for almost two years before my fibromyalgia was diagnosed, so I'm used to it," she said playfully.

A sudden commotion was heard in the hallway, and Commander Hobb looked alarmed. He set the syringe down on the surgical tray and gave Christine a meaningful look.

"I'll be right back. Sit tight."

Christine opened her mouth to mention he should put a cap on the needle, but shrugged. He'd set it down on a sterile surgical tray; it would be fine. She'd just remind him to swab her arm with alcohol one more time before the injection. Hobb came back into the room, his face pale, and she looked up in alarm.

"What happened?" she asked.

"A man was brought in with a fever. Burning up at 106.5 and showed no sign of his fever dropping. Had them go pack him in ice to stabilize him," he said, picking the syringe back up, tapping it one more time then making his way over to her side. Christine stiffened, opening her mouth again to protest, but in one swift motion, he stuck the needle into her shoulder, pushing down the plunger. Christine winced as the vaccination burned its way through the muscle. Hobb looked at her, lifting a brow as he withdrew the needle.

"You alright, Evans?" He asked in concern.

"You...should have wiped my arm with alcohol again, Commander," she said, holding down the gauze he put on the injection site. He shrugged as he stuck a bandage on top of the gauze.

"I didn't come in direct contact with the sick patient. You should be fine. If any symptoms DO show up, come back to the clinic at once. This IS an experimental vaccination, so be mindful of any changes in your temperament, temperature, systemic regularity. You're a nurse; you know what to watch for," he said sternly. Christine nodded.

"Gotcha, Commander," she said, giving a half assed salute. He smirked.

"Just be glad you're a contracted civi, Evans, otherwise I'd scold you for being impertinent," he teased.

She laughed and picked up her purse, tossing it over her good shoulder, rubbing the injection site tenderly. She made a note to keep an eye on the injection site carefully. She was worried about the injection, as it was experimental, but no one else had been willing to take it, and since she was going to Brazil anyway, and with the threat of the virus being used as a bioweapon, she volunteered.

She just hoped she didn't end up regretting it.

**o0o0o**

Aria and Jesse approached the injection site warily, their eyes peeled. Aria glanced over at Jesse, who was practically bouncing in excitement. She gave him a look.

"Be on your guard, Jesse. We don't know what we're dealing with here," she said, eyeing the pool of vaccination fluid where their virus would be emerging from. Jesse rolled his eyes and took off his jacket, slinging it over one shoulder, leaving his gun- strapped in its holster- in plain sight. He sauntered over to the edge of the pool, eyeing it carefully.

"Jess, be-" Aria started, but trailed off as movement stirred in the pool. The virus was coming out. A lithe figure rose from the fluid, bright pink irises set in rhodamine sclera glinting at them, full violet lips spreading into a small smile as the sharp gaze fell on the two white blood cells. Jesse gaped, and Aria rolled her shoulder. She'd been expecting a male virus. Their shot was a she-virus.

She stood short for a virus, her capsid white, with dark blood red markings around her eyes, the flagella on her head a maroon red. She wore a black jacket that came short of her waist, left open to show her midsection and a strapless black top underneath, with matching pants. Two chains encircled her hips, and matching chains wrapped around each wrist. Occasionally, each chain would glint with a red flicker. Her hands had cruel claws, the index of the right longer than the rest. Each claw was dark red as though she'd sliced through flesh and bloodied them up, the longer index claw a brighter red, almost orange and yellow. Her feet ended in dark fuchsia claws, and she had a long supple tail with five spikes in a similar fuchsia color on the end.

Jesse cleared his throat and made his way over to the virus as she stopped on the edge of the pool, waiting expectantly, her tail swishing, arms folded over her generous chest. Her shrewd eyes weren't watching Jesse; they were watching Aria. She knew Aria was the one in charge and therefore was the one not to piss off.

"Christine Police Department," Jesse said, flashing his badge. "You must be the vaccination."

The virus smiled a bit more, the top of her upper teeth flashing ever so slightly, but it didn't reach those cold cruel eyes.

"Yes," she said in a low crooning voice. "That I am, officer. Sabia Arenaviridae reporting for...duty."

"Good to have you here working for the city. I'll need to see your mark of certification," Jesse said, referring to the band of "scar tissue" branded on the capsid of vaccinations from the amino acids that attenuated them, making them harmless.

She sighed, smiling wearily and turned her back to them. She removed her jacket and brushed back her hair, revealing the dark red scar that ran from the underside of her jaw, down her back and ended somewhere underneath her pants below the hips. Jesse nodded, and she replaced her jacket, turning back to face them.

"Where to, officers?" she asked lightly, flicking her tail and shifting her weight to one hip. Aria motioned to the squad car.

"We'll be taking you to the station to let you know where you'll be working and to register you as a vaccination under the Virus Protection Program. After that, we'll take you to the housing for individuals under the VPP," she said.

Jesse glanced at her claws again and coughed.

"Come on then. We ain't got all day, Miss Arenaviridae."

She laughed, a low and throaty sound, flashing her teeth fully- sharp glinting fangs.

"Please, officer," she said, her face sliding back into an unnerving, impassive expression. "Call me Sabia."

Jesse nodded, unnerved, and opened to door to let her in the backseat before getting into the squad car. He looked at her and gave her a smile.

"Do you mind if I roll the separator up? We need to make a call to the station letting em know we have you picked up," he asked. Sabia nodded and stretched out on the backseat, putting her arms behind her head and crossing her legs at the ankles.

"Sure thing, baby. If you don't mind, I'll get a little nap. Shot lag and all," she said sweetly.

Aria nodded and rolled up the divider, then immediately fixed Jesse with a look.

"What? We have her, she's legit, and we're headed back. Everything's fine!" Jesse said indignantly.

"She gives me the creeps. We need to have the Chief look her over. I don't know that she's entirely attenuated," Aria said, glancing at the virus already snoozing on the backseat. Jesse waved his hand dismissively and pulled out onto the freeway, headed to the station.

"You worry too much, Ari."

"You don't worry enough," came Aria's stressed reply.

**o0o0o**

Something else stirred in the pool that was slowly being absorbed by the body. A tall figure emerged from the fluid and slicked back the greyed purple flagella on his head, his yellow eyes narrowed eagerly in his long crimson face. He straightened his black trench coat and began sauntering off, twirling a chain around his wrist, singing idly to himself in a low seductively purring voice.

_"Fever... til you sizzle...what a lovely way to burn...what a lovely way to burn..."_

**o0o0o**

Sabia flumped on the bed of her small apartment, scowling to show off all her fangs.

"What a fucking day," she hissed, rolling onto her side, facing the door, propping her head up on her hand, resting her weight on her elbow. Her long claws curled into her hair, her eyes narrowed in annoyance. She'd been loaded into a syringe, shot into a new body, poked and prodded by Immunity, given a long spiel on how she was there to protect the city of Christine, then shipped over to an apartment complex made specifically for viruses under the VPP.

"At least they gave me a car and my own place, I guess," she muttered, tapping her temple with the oversized index claw, draping her free arm over her cocked hip. They'd given her a loaner car until she made enough to get one of her own. She'd already been offered a spot as a bartender in one of the clubs of the Scar Strip- a bad area of the city under a long strip of scar tissue in the upper arm where viruses and bacteria went to congregate.

"Could be a worse job," she said aloud to herself. "At least it'll be fun and I can get rough with the ones that get smart."

A knock on the door had her sighing and getting up, her tail swishing angrily. Not even an hour after moving in, she had someone at the door to annoy her.

"Yes?" she said testily, looking at the short virus at her door. He gave her a sly grin.

"Hey new neighbor. Just wanted to welcome you to the VPP complex." he said, winking one of his three eyes. She leaned against the doorframe, folding her arms over her chest.

"And there you have it. I've been welcomed. Anything else?" She asked dryly, smacking the doorknob with her tail spikes to let him know she wanted to be left alone. The virus eyed her claws, then coughed.

"The name's Ruben. Rubella Virus. Just wanted to let you know who to watch out for here," he said, holding out one of his four hands. Sabia took it and shook carefully.

"Sabia. Brazilian Hemorrhaging Fever," she said. The three eyes blinked at her.

"So YOU'RE the one the city's been waitin' for. Nice to meet ya," he said, releasing her hand quickly, and she smirked.

"No worries, baby. I'm attenuated," she said dryly. He blinked again.

"Attenuated? That's rough, babe. Sorry to hear that. I'm attenuated myself. Tough break for viruses like us."

Sabia tried not to smirk. Rubella was nothing compared to the havoc she had caused before she'd been caught, but she said nothing, nodding. Ruben leaned back on his two hind legs.

"Be careful of Rob- rabies vaccination- one HELLUVA temper," he said, rubbing his pointed chin. Also watch out for Flint- influenza- he likes running gambling rings and it'll suck you in hard. Lastly, the head honcho, though no one admits it, is Thracy. She's a bacterial vaccination, but she causes anthrax, and can cause hell for you."

Sabia snorted, flicking her tail and cocking her head.

"Baby, I've met an Anthrax bacteria, and I killed him before he could take my turf. I'm not afraid of a vaccination version," she said snidely.

Ruben eyed her.

"Not like any of us can do ANYTHING, but politically, she could eat you alive," he said. Sabia grinned wolfishly, flashing her sharp teeth.

"Baby, the game has changed since I got here. Just watch. I thank you for your concern, but I have shot lag. I'm gonna take a nap."

Ruben nodded, suspicion in his eyes.

"Sleep well, then."

Sabia shut the door and growled in her throat.

"Me. Afraid of Anthrax? They don't know who they're dealing with. Anthrax takes four days to kill. I only take 48 hours, baby. I'll own this city in no time flat."

She grinned and slid her index claw underneath the mark on her neck, pulling it away from her capsid, revealing a colorless scar that made the band blend seamlessly with her capsid. She laughed loudly, deep in her throat, shoulder shaking as she let the false band slide back into place.

"Baby, this city is MINE. And they let me just waltz right in," she cackled, falling back onto her bed. She continued to laugh.

"I just waltzed right in. I'll waltz right out and watch it bleed."

**o0o0o**

Aria adjusted the collar of her jacket as she entered the bar. Though the bar wasn't technically a hot spot for crime, there were still some less than savory characters there, and she didn't want to alert them to her presence. She glanced around casually and saw Sabia behind the bar, chatting it up animatedly with a staphylococcus bacterium. Her bright pink eyes flicked in her direction and her fanged grin spread wider, and she pushed the staph's drink at him, indicating he should cut it short. He turned and saw Aria, and nearly dropped his drink.

"I ain't causin' trouble," he said. Aria shook her head.

"I know you can't do much here, and it's not uncommon to see you here. I'm not here for you. Just mind yourself," she replied, pushing past him to the bar.

He grunted and hid his face in his drink, moving away quickly. Sabia smiled slyly, wiping the counter before leaning against the bar, putting a hand on her cocked hip, tail swishing playfully. Her eyes were searching, and the chains around her wrists and hips glinted with sparks of red. She gestured to the bar.

"Can I get you anything, Officer Fission?" She asked. "I know you white blood cells don't like the same fare as bacteria and viruses, but we do have shots of Adenosine Triphosphate if you like; a good pick me up," she said conversationally.

"Just here to see how you're faring with this new job," Aria replied, standing next to a stool, but not taking a seat. Sabia smiled and waved at a few figures sitting in some slightly shadowy booths. As some friendly cries, and some flirtatious hoots, hollers and whistles sounded, she grinned wickedly at Aria.

"Doing well, I should think. Making friends already," she said sweetly, grinning, her sharp teeth flashing in the low light. Aria nodded uncertainly.

"That's good. It's good to have friends in this business," she said quietly. Sabia's smile faded, her face going neutral.

"S'why I'd prefer if you not contact me here at work. Folks know I'm attenuated, but it...slips their mind because they get too preoccupied with staring at my claws...and my curves. If you and your partner keep showing up, my regulars won't come back. Cops make em nervous, y'know," she said in a low voice, leaning forward and flicking her tail, making it look to observers that she was flirting with the officer. Appreciative hoots sounded in the bar, and Aria flushed, tugging at her coat. Sabia laughed and trailed the tip of a claw down Aria's sleeve.

"Just...you know...meet me anywhere but at work. I know you're doing your job, baby, but I'm trying to do mine, and you're not making it easy on me," she crooned.

Aria pulled back a bit and tugged at her sleeve, trying to shake off the feeling that something bad had almost happened to her. Sabia was attenuated, this was true, but that oversized index claw running down her arm made her lyzosomes churn in fear. She knew what that claw had done before it was rendered almost useless- causing bleeding, delirium and coma by shredding cell walls with a single touch. It could still rip and tear, but the hemorrhaging ability it had once had was gone. Still, as she glanced at it again, she knew she didn't want it touching her ever again. She couldn't tell Sabia that, lest she let her think she was weak and afraid of her- even though being afraid of her was the truth.

"Right. It's a mistake a rookie would make, and I'm sorry, Sabia. I won't come back here when you're working," she said, and after a second thought, she added, "I won't come back period unless I am ordered to, or you need me. Jesse won't come here, either."

Sabia made a purring croon and pulled out a shot glass, filling it with a clear bright yellow fluid from a tap. She then shoved it across the counter, smiling genuinely, and filled a shot glass of her own, lifting it to Aria.

"ATP shot, on the house," she said, smirking. "A toast to an interesting partnership."

Aria smiled uncertainly, but lifted the shot and drank it quickly, enjoying the jolt of energy that went straight through her. She blinked and set the glass down. Sabia's eyes laughed over the rim of her glass as she downed the shot, then she laughed out loud, setting her own shot glass down.

"Good. Glad to see we're on the right foot," she said warmly, her face glowing from the shot of ATP in her system. She winked at Aria and grinned.

"Now if you'll excuse me, hon, I have some fan service that needs doing."

She slid out of her jacket and tossed it to the back counter, leaving her in a tightly laced black strapless top that showed off her lean midsection, the low cut of her pants showing off the top of her hips. A few hoots and hollers sounded through the bar, and Aria marveled at how Sabia was right- they ignored the dark red scar that ran down her back like a battle wound. Sabia swished her tail and she loaded a tray with a few bottles of varying delights for the patrons in the booths.

"Alright, boys! This stuff is vintage! Biggest tips get the best bottles!" She called out, grinning and sauntering about with a sway in her hips, her tail swishing in time with each swaggering step. She examined the bottles on her tray and picked one up and shoved it in her cleavage.

"This one here's the best we have at the moment. Biggest tip gets to pull it out, and I'll open it with my teeth, boys," she called.

Aria turned and exited the bar, not wanting to see anymore. Sabia knew how to get favor with the patrons of the bar, and no doubt they wouldn't hesitate to give her information later if she asked. She just didn't want to watch her methods. It was better she left anyway- the noise and comfort level of the bar intensified after she shut the door behind her and headed to her car. She blinked as her radio came on.

"Officer Fission. Aria, you there?" She picked it up, frowning.

"Yes, Chief, what is it?" She replied.

"Get down to the bank- there's been a break in. The culprit got away, but there is quite the crime scene. Get your nucleus down there."

"Roger, Chief. Going now."

Sabia grinned as the cop left. Such a sandy stroma, really. She felt better once she left. She snickered as tips were waved at her for the cold bottle of adrenaline pressed in her cleavage. Aria didn't know some of these bottles were illegal substances, and she didn't need to know. The less she knew the better, but these things made her customers willing to talk- talk about things going on in the underground.

"Come here, Sabia, brother Cess has a nice wad of cash for that bottle," slurred a drunk bacteria. Sabia eyed the two bills in his hand and laughed, patting his head. Another waved a slightly thicker wad of cash, but Sabia's sharp eyes counted only fifty.

"Come here, baby. Big daddy Thrax has enough cash to claim that prize, darlin'," crooned a low voice.

Sabia turned around to see a slender figure reclining in a shadowed booth, his long legs crossed at the ankles. One arm was flung behind his head, the other on the table, long claws resting on the tabletop. Yellow eyes glittered at her from under his quirked brow, a smirk on his long thin face. His smirk turned to a grin as she looked at him, and he pulled a thick wad of cash from his long trench coat.

"Well, baby? How 'bout it?" He asked, his voice smooth and dark. Sabia recovered herself and made her way over to him, putting a sway in her hips and a flick in her tail. She smiled coyly at him, setting the tray of bottles on the table and bending forward a bit to offer him the cold bottle, .

"I believe you are the highest bidder, darlin'," she purred, shimmying ever so slightly to wave the bottle in front of him.

His expression didn't change, giving her no warning as his arms shot out, one snaking around her waist, pulling her close, the other sliding around the neck of the bottle, his long claws snaking between her breasts. She made a small squeak as she was pulled into his lap and against his chest. A few of the patrons got up, looking to defend their favorite bartender, but her captor laughed playfully, and she waved her defenders off.

"Chill boys. Chill," she said, rearranging herself more comfortably on his lap, her rump resting comfortably between his thighs, her tail flicking to move around his waist. She was trying to ignore the fact that his hand was still in between her breasts, and that he was probably enjoying the feel of her.

His eyes flicked to her teasing tail, the spikes faced away from him, but the tip flicking his side. His gaze moved back to her face then trailed back to her cleavage and back to her face. She leaned back slightly against the hand on her waist, watching as he pulled the bottle from her top. He shoved the huge wad of cash in her cleavage and snickered as he lifted the bottle to the level of her mouth .

"I believe you offered to open this, baby," he purred.

She leaned forward and took the top of the bottle in her mouth, hooking her strong sharp teeth around the cap and pulling back, the top popping off with a loud clink. She parted her lips and grinned around the cap clenched in her fangs before leaning forward, her breasts pressing against his chest, dropping it on his shoulder. His claws tightened around her waist, the longer index claw digging into her hip slightly. His eyes roved over her as he tilted the bottle back and drank the entirety of it in one long swig. His gaze stopped on the mark that started on the underside of her jaw and trailed over her shoulder, disappearing as it ran down her back. His eyes narrowed as he finished the illegal drink, setting the empty bottle on the table.

"How does a pretty thing like you get attenuated, baby?" he asked, his voice low.

Sabia looked around, but her patrons had gone back to drinking, disappointed the sport of buying her company for the night was over. She turned her pink eyes back to him.

"Same as any fool who was dumb enough to get caught, Mr Tall Dark and Dangerous," she replied. She thought about trailing her index claw down his chest- she wanted to feel how firm he was under the coat- but she figured he may not like that, so she kept her claw to herself. He pulled her close to whisper to her.

"So you're working for the cops now, huh, baby?" He asked in a low growling tone, his other hand moving to clench her waist almost painfully. She squirmed a bit, but he crushed her against his chest. She huffed.

"Honey, you shouldn't draw conclusions before you know the whole story," she hissed, fighting his hold.

"How can I trust a shot, baby? You know just as well as I do that someone like me doesn't come with cash- especially enough to buy a treat like this," he retorted. Sabia put her face close to his and darted her tongue out to lick a bead of adrenaline off the corner of his mouth.

"Because I ain't a shot, sugar," she hissed under her breath. He eyed her suspiciously.

"What are you talking about?"

She slid from his lap, taking advantage of his disbelief slackening his grasp. She blew him a kiss for the benefit of her charade as a flirtatious bartender. He glared at her, watching her.

"Hang around til close and we'll talk," she whispered, then made her way back to the bar, feeling his eyes on her hips. She smirked to herself and put extra sway into her hips for his benefit.


	2. Chapter 2

Thrax watched Sabia flirt and laugh as she served drinks the rest of the night, his eyes narrowed as he observed her flirtatious manner, and the way she got even the surliest, quietest patrons to talk. The girl was good at what she did. The more he listened, the more he understood. She was getting information, like immunity wanted her to, but she wasn't getting the information they wanted- she was getting information that she wanted- who was more prominent, and where; who had the more dangerous cronies; who had the germ-power to make them the pathogens to avoid.

He had a feeling she could gather information about the city on her own terms, without help, and the information she was seeking here in the bar was about the more covert life of this body's underground. She was buttering up and gathering allies to her like plasmodium to a fat red blood cell.

The other bartender, an older Neisseria menengitidis bacteria, showed up later to help with the late night crowd. She flirted and played with Sabia, who played back, delighting the crowd. The curvy Neissa was the perfect compliment to the svelte Sabia, her sweet coy giggles a mirror to Sabia's throaty seductive laughter. The two brushed against each other, swatted each other with their tails, or tag teamed patrons into buying another drink.

"You girls are good," he murmured, as she brought him a few shots of ATP, looking at a completely sloshed Clostridium- one who had come in earlier with no desire to drink, just to watch the bartenders. He ran his claw along the edge of the closest shot glass, looking her in the eye. She smiled, flashing her fangs, and sat in the booth across from him.

"We try to appeal to the customers. When the bar says it's gentlemen's night, it means me and Neissa are working and we appeal to the men. When it's ladies' night, it means Cesar and Luca are working and appeal to the women," she said, shrugging, her eyes searching his face as he pulled the shots to him.

"So what brings you to the city, sugar?" She asked softly, her tail flicking.

"Just passing through, baby," he said, his eyes flashing as he answered her. She pouted at him and pushed the rest of the shots at him with long claws. He said nothing- he wasn't saying anything to a shot.

"Just makin' conversation, sug," she said, folding her arms over her chest and leaning back against the back of the booth.

He downed his shots and pushed them across the table to her without saying a word. She smiled and flicked her tail, getting up languidly. She leaned over the table to pick up the shot glasses, smirking as his eyes fell on her cleavage, and he lifted a brow.

"Baby, if you flaunt it like that, I'm gonna look," he said, folding his arms over his chest, grinning and propping his feet up next to her on her side of the booth. She laughed, cradling the shot glasses in her arms as she slid from the booth.

"I know, hon. It's why I flaunt it. I got one hell of a tip from you for it, didn't I?" She replied smoothly.

"You sure did, baby, and don't forget it...I think I paid for more than just a drink," he retorted, his eyes moving exaggeratedly over the curves of her waist and hips.

She stuck out her wine colored tongue playfully and started moving back to the bar. She had no intention of letting him have more than some eye candy. She stood in front of the counter, putting her hands on her hips and shifting her weight to one leg.

"We close in 5, gentlemen, so start your engines and head for the street!" She called, causing moans to sound through the building. She leaned on the bar and gave a mock sigh.

"Come on, boys, you know the drill. Let's go."

The patrons slowly began sidling out of the bar, leaving their glasses and mugs on the counter in easy gathering reach for Neissa and Sabia. Thrax remained in his darkened booth, watching as the two women cleaned up the bar. Neissa gave Thrax a suspicious glare.

"Sir, we're closed," she said carefully, her orange eyes tracing over his lean figure. He smiled smoothly.

"I'm waitin' on your girl there, Miss Neissa," he said congenially. Sabia put a hand on Neissa's shoulder, her red claws bright against the other woman's dark violet membrane.

"He's with me, sugar, and he's closed his tab for the night. Don't sweat it," she crooned.

Neissa relaxed and brushed her short white and yellow hair from her eyes.

"Alright hon, but just this once, or old man Phagocyte will have my membrane," she muttered, wiping down the counter and turning off the main lights. Sabia finished straightening the display of mixers, wiped off the stools and tables, and flung her rag into the sink.

"Done, Neissa baby," she called, picking up her jacket and flinging it over her shoulder, emptying her tip jar into her purse.

Neissa, counting down the register, simply nodded and waved her out, her four tails swaying as she counted the money. Sabia beckoned to Thrax, who got up and followed her outside to her car.

"So what's your name, sweet thang?" Thrax asked. He'd heard her name but he wanted to be cordial. She flashed him a sharp smile and brushed her hair from his shoulder.

"Sabia. Sabia Arenaviridae," she said coyly. "So do I call you Big Daddy Thrax?"

He grinned widely, liking the way she crooned his name.

"While I like hearing you call me Big Daddy Thrax, baby, just Thrax is fine," he purred.

She gave him a croon of pleasure and waved at the small white vehicle, motioning for him to get inside, then got into the driver's seat. He got in without a word and was quiet as she started the car, pulling out into the street. She was quiet, and he knew she was waiting for him to ask questions, but he knew better. She was supposedly a shot, working for immunity- there was a good chance this car was bugged.

He knew there was a few vaccines running around in this city- he'd leapt at the chance to hop in through the injection site when he saw the syringe. He'd jumped onto that doctor as he fled the man he'd left to die from fever. At the thought of his last victim, he smirked cruelly and pushed at the chain around his wrist, eyeing the DNA bead. Sabia eyed it, but said nothing, flicking her own wrist, the chain around it glinting red.

"There's a nice place I like to go to think at night after work," she said off handedly.

She pulled the car over, and got out, turning the car off. He followed, looking at her curiously. She glared at the car.

"It's bugged. I don't want them hearing this," she said simply. "It's a slight walk, but not too far. There's a tiny nick in the scapula of this city- from an accident. It never healed all the way, and it's a good spot for seclusion. Heard about it from one of my regulars," she said.

They walked in silence for about ten minutes or so, neither wanting to say anything. Thrax watched the sway of her hips and the flick of her tail with a small appreciative smile on his face- there was no denying the she-virus had a fine looking rump. When they reached the scapula she pointed to a shady looking building built into the nick she had described. She knocked on the door and the window opened.

"It's Sabia," she said quietly.

The window shut, and the door opened, revealing a tall and thin cantankerous looking bacteria with a thick mane of hair to her knees, and a long sweeping tail.

"Awful late, Sabia. Not used to seein you at this hour," she said irritably, annoyance written on her grey face, her membrane mottled with black spots. She scowled at Sabia, pushing her thick mane of black hair off her face, her yellow fangs glinting in her mouth as she scowled. Her puce green eyes were narrowed. Sabia gave her a simpering look.

"Brought a friend, Eliza. Needed a safe place to talk to him. Don't put me out, sweetie," Sabia simpered, handing her a few bills from her purse. The female sniffed the bills suspiciously, then nodded with a grunt and shoved them in her pocket.

"Oh all right. The back room is free. Ain't nobody of importance in the building right now. I'll give ya the signal if immunity shows up," she said, sauntering off.

Sabia motioned to Thrax again and he followed her through the long hallways til they reached a back room. She watched as he examined the room. There was a few couches, a recliner, and a mattress set on a box spring on the floor. He flumped on a couch and waved his hands in expectancy. She sat on the couch next to him and stretched her legs out.

"So what is this? A half way house?" He asked. Sabia snorted and lifted a brow as a moan was heard from down the hall.

"It's a bordello, baby. For viruses and bacteria."

She glanced at the doorway as a curvaceous plasmodium sauntered past. The malaria causing protist winked lasciviously at Thrax, flipping her bright yellow hair over her shoulder.

"If she ain't takin' care of you, you just let sweet Mal take care of ya, baby doll," she purred in a drawling accent. Sabia hissed, baring her fangs.

"Get the hell out, Mal, before I tell the Matron you're being greedy."

Mal took a step back, blinking.

"No, let's not tell Eliza, alright? I'll leave you to him. Lucky girl," she said, eyeing Thrax again before high tailing it. Thrax gave her a look as she got up and shut the door.

"Already a regular, baby?" He asked, lifting a brow. She snorted.

"Not so much a regular as I get along with Eliza. Met her in the bar and we hit it off. I come to chat it up with her, and to give her booze. She gives me a room where I can tap nerves and have time to myself," she said, sitting back down next to him.

He tugged at her jacket, pulling her collar back and pushing her head to the side to examine her neck. His eyes were narrowed as he examined her attenuation mark. She let him look it over, removing her jacket and trying not to shudder as he ran his claws down her back.

"I'm not attenuated," she said, meeting his gaze.

Before he could challenge her, she slid her claw under the long mark on her neck and pulled at it, showing him it was fake. His eyes went wide, and a slightly surprised smile spread over his mouth.

"Baby, if you ain't full of surprises," he said in wonder. She snickered.

"I'm marauding as a shot, but I'm getting information for myself. I plan to start bleeding this city dry in 6 more days. This has been a long incubation period for me, but since immunity is breathing down my neck, I've had to be careful."

"So what are you planning on doin, baby?" he asked, but blinked as she whipped her tail and stuck the spikes into the floor. She smiled.

"Tapping into a nerve. S'how I get my better information," she explained off handedly. She narrowed her eyes, leaning back and removing her jacket, crossing her legs at the knee. Her tail jerked every now and then, her slitted pupils dilating and contracting as she gathered information.

"So. I take it you're not a garden variety bacterium, hon," she said, cocking her head and looking over at him. His grin was baneful.

"You take it right, baby," he said, flexing his claws, the longer index claw glowing bright red. Her eyes watched his claw, and she narrowed her eyes as her gaze moved to the chain around his wrist.

"You're an Arenaviridae...," she said quietly. He laughed.

"Takes one to know one," he replied, looking pointedly at the chains around her hips. She flexed her own claws, her bright red index claw turning black. She grinned, then stuck her tongue out playfully, but he snatched her chin with his hand, pulling her to him. She squeaked, and he laughed.

"Baby you should watch what you do with that tongue," he said in a low voice.

She pulled her chin from his grasp, her eyes flashing. As handsome as this virus was, she wasn't interested in playing games past this point. He was a threat to her siege, and was encroaching on her turf. She had played her game with him in the bar, but now she just wanted him gone, and now that he knew she wasn't attenuated and was therefore a threat to him, she wasn't sure she had anything else to say to him. She straightened, slicking back her hair, her tail jerking again as another rush of information came to her- the Chief of Immunity was taking leave in a few days- right around the end of her incubation period. The timing couldn't be more perfect. She already knew Aria was right below the Chief in rank, and would therefore be taking up the slack with the Chief gone. This meant the officer wouldn't be in her hair when she made her move. She turned back to Thrax, her expression neutral, trying not to reveal that she'd discovered something big.

"So. Now that you know, what's your reason for being here, hon?" She asked, her question innocent enough, but her underlying tone was dangerous, a she-virus snarling at an invader on her turf. Thrax smiled at her congenially, leaning back to look at her.

"Easy, baby. I see you getting your capsid all raised. I won't steal your score from you."

She didn't relax, but she stopped bristling, and her tail jerked again. She idly scratched at her arms with her long index claw.

"So what, then? What do you want? Just going to sit idly and hop ship when I take this city down?" She asked, lifting a brow. He narrowed his eyes and gave her an acidly placid smile.

"No, baby. I won't take your kill, but I won't sit idly, either."

Sabia scowled, narrowing her eyes.

"What, then?"

He snaked out an arm and yanked her onto his lap, her tail popping from the floor. She made a loud noise of protest, splaying her hands against his chest to keep herself from falling against him. His hands splayed out over her lower back and hips, and he locked his eyes with hers, ignoring her scowl.

"I wanna know how you were supposedly attenuated in a lab and yet you're completely unharmed," he said in a soft voice, his tone dangerous. She scowled and slapped her palm against his chest.

"I'll tell you if you fuckin' let me go!" She spat, thrashing her tail against the couch. He laughed.

"I paid a damn good amount of money for you, baby. I think I paid for a lot more than a bottle of adrenaline shoved in your cleavage," he said in a dangerously low tone.

She gave him a look that was a mixture of rage and disbelief. Yes, she knew she should have expected him to think he was entitled to a little more than some flirting at the bar, but to go all the way out to this secluded spot on the hope to get some action under the pretense of wanting to know if she was a shot or not left her speechless. This virus had some nerve. Thrax laughed and trailed a claw along her back, tapping the spikes that jutted from the center of her back, and his other hand cradled her right hip almost tenderly. She glared at him.

"Baby, you know we don't work that way, so if you're looking for someone to host your brood, you need another sucker," she drawled in annoyance. He blinked, almost letting go of her, then laughed, his head tilting back.

"Brood? Baby, you are hilarious thinking I want you to host my brood. Killing a pretty lil' thang like you? Hell no, baby!" He said, his voice rich with amusement. "I wouldn't mind having a few rounds with you, hon, but I ain't a family type of virus, and even if I was, I'd enjoy having a white blood cell host my brood, not another virus."

Sabia set her full lips in a firm line, looking at him skeptically, moving her hands from his chest to his shoulders, cocking her head and studying him carefully. He returned her gaze, an amused smile still curled on his mouth. Her tail flicked and she stared into his eyes before giving a sigh as he looked at her expectantly. She moved herself to settle in his lap more comfortably, swinging her legs to the side so her back was to the back of the couch. She slid an arm around his shoulder to balance herself, and used her free hand to pry his grasp off her hip. He moved it to her knee, sliding his other arm around her waist. She sighed, but settled against him- she didn't want to admit it, but it felt good to lean against him; his body was pleasing and very warm. Were he not a jerk, she'd want to snuggle on him a bit. He smiled smoothly and pulled her closer. She cleared her throat as he made a rumble in his chest.

"So tell me about yourself, baby. Tell me why you have a fake attenuation mark on ya," he crooned in her ear.

"I was captured from my last victim because I was too jubilant. I'd taken down that victim in 48 hours, and had still managed to produce a brood. My children were running rampant and preparing to leave right on the brink of the victim's death," Sabia said, her face a bit mournful as she spoke of her children.

"I lingered too long- as I was escaping, the victim's body was already in a hospital and the room was quarantined- my victim had been a scientist who'd been studying my former victim. Samples of the room's air were taken, and I was sucked into the vacuum. I was put under microscopes and discovered. "

Thrax blinked and his hand clamped a little tighter on her hip, pulling her closer, listening intently. She didn't mind it, and leaned into his hold a little bit.

"They exposed me to amino acids and human cells- red and white blood cells, which I devoured. I was kept in a cultured petri dish with some of my children, also captured. My children were still young, and died to the amino acid exposure."

She closed her eyes and clenched her jaw, her teeth rasping against each other like knife blades.

"Other bacteria and even a few viruses were introduced into my 'home'. One told me they were trying to attenuate me, and that until they did, they weren't going to stop the variables and the acid. He then begged me to kill him after showing me the mark that meant a virus was attenuated."

Thrax made a small sound of surprise.

"Did you kill him?" He asked.

Sabia opened her eyes and met his gaze evenly.

"Of course I did. What kind of virus am I to let a fellow pathogen suffer? I killed him and took the scar tissue from his attenuation and when I was left overnight in another batch of amino acids, I gashed myself open to make an inset, and put the scar tissue on my own capsid, making it look like the work had finally taken effect. It was an act of desperation, but it worked. "

She sneered at nothing in particular, and Thrax laughed. She said nothing for a bit, feeling his body rumble underneath her, and while he was annoying, and a threat, she liked looking at him. Maybe a few rounds with him before she booted him out wouldn't be such a bad thing. She stretched, letting him enjoy the way her body flexed under his hands.

"They gave me more human cells in my culture. I devoured most of them, stole their ribosomes. They kept giving them to me, and stupidly, I realized after about five batches that they were wanting me to reproduce. So on the last batch, I devoured all but one, and he got to deal with watching me eat his comrades- all the while knowing that I was going to embed my RNA into his membrane, and that my children would come from him and destroy him."

She gloated, swaying her tail. Thrax took his hand off her knee and grabbed hold of it. She gave him a Look.

"Baby, you best let go of that, 'less you plan on keepin' it," she warned. His grin was wide.

"What if I do?" He drawled. She jerked her tail from his hand and smacked his leg with it, scowling almost playfully. He snickered.

"My children were born, and they fed on the remains of their father. Such a proud day for me. My second brood, and I didn't even have to tell them where to feed. They even squabbled over the ribosomes," she said, sighing a bit. Thrax blinked.

"You don't strike me as the motherly type," he said carefully. She laughed heartily, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"I'm not. I reproduce because I need to. I normally wouldn't ever see my kids again, but the short amount of time I am with them, I enjoy being around them. Too much actually, seeing as I get attached," she said, her expression softening a bit. "Like my father was with me. I stayed with my daddy until I was fully grown. He taught me everything he knew, and I became his protégé. I hated leaving him, but he all but pushed me away, saying I had to go out on my own. I still miss him- I'm a daddy's girl."

Thrax made a face that was pure discomfort. He was out of his comfort zone with this subject. She snickered and reached out to trail a claw down his cheek. Maybe if she flirted with him some more it would be easier to get him to leave willingly. She so hated confrontations, after all. He smiled broadly and pulled her to him, pressing her against his chest. She made only a slight sound of resistance to keep up appearances, but leaned against him.

"End of the story. They put in more cells in the dish. I tell my kids to badger the cells, but leave them alone. The scientists think me and my brood are attenuated, and we get loaded into a vaccination. I'm the first, and they're waiting on the results. Too bad it will be in vain, and I will kill this body, and escape- and start my cycle all over again."

She settled against him, purring like she'd devoured a white blood cell. Thrax snickered, but it was in appreciation.

"What about your kids?"

"There will be more," she replied, but she did feel a bit of a sting in her chest that she covered with a smirk. Thrax looked amused.

"Damn, baby. You don't feel bad about anything, do you?" He laughed. She winked at him, pursing her lips.

"Viruses can't afford to get too emotionally invested in anything or anyone, but sometimes exceptions can be made. Too bad my father has been the only exception so far," she said slyly, shifting her weight in preparation to get off his lap.

As if reading her mind, Thrax wrapped both arms around her and pulled her to him, a hand sliding up her back and under her shirt, the other running up her tail to the base. She pushed her hand against his chest and tried to push back.

"Whoa, sugar. Whoa. No," she said, leaning back. His expression was calmly irritated, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"Baby, You can't tease a virus the way you have and expect him not to react. Now come here and give me what I paid for," he said in a low voice, leaning forward, trying to claim her mouth with his own.

Sabia made an angry snarl and swung her fist at his throat. He caught her fist in his hand and pushed it down, his face etched in annoyance. He scooped her up, ignoring how she cursed, hissed, kicked and flailed at him, and tossed her onto the bed, getting onto it and straddling her hips. He bent over her, putting a hand on either side of her shoulders, staring into her wide angry eyes. He laughed and dipped his head, pressing his lips to her cheek.

"You really shouldn't pretend you're interested in me, then pull stunts like that, baby," he murmured, running a hand down her side and over her bare stomach, laughing as she squirmed.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, baby, but I'm not gonna let go of the idea, either."

Sabia blinked up at him, and didn't even fight him as he kissed her throat. He laughed, and got up, sitting on the foot of the bed. She clambered to her knees and flexed her claws a bit, eying him.

"What do you mean?" She asked warily. He chuckled.

"I ain't gonna lie, baby, I'd lay you down and have at you if I could, but I ain't a savage. I just wanted to kiss you, but I decided to teach you a lesson," he growled, looking at her wryly. "Did it work?"

She huffed, putting her hands on her hips, moved off the bed and marched over to him. She stared at him for a few moments before cuffing him on the forehead. He let out a growl and rubbed his forehead, glaring at her.

"The hell was that for?"

"If you wanted a damn kiss, sugar, just say so, don't freaking throw me on a bed and climb on top me! Jerk! If I didn't want you out of here and out of the way before, I sure as hell do now!" She fussed, cuffing him again.

"Stop it!" He growled, raising his hand to grab at her wrist. She dodged his grasp, sighing, then leaned forward, taking his face in her claws.

"You said you wanted a kiss, so you'll get one. You're right. You did pay for more than that," she said, pressing her lips to his.

She expected him to grab her and pull her against him, to try and take the kiss further than she wanted. She stiffened as his hands slid around her hips, and she prepared to fight him off, but his hands were light on her capsid. He kept the kiss chaste- he didn't force his tongue into her mouth. He definitely was working his mouth sensually over hers, but he didn't go further than that. She kept her hands on his cheeks as she kissed him back, her eyes closed- she knew his eyes were open, watching her.

She pulled back after a few minutes, her tail flicking spastically. He gave her a grin, his eyes glittering in laughter as he took in her glowing eyes, flushed cheeks and swollen lips. She looked away, feeling horribly embarrassed, and hating herself for it. He chuckled, but it wasn't teasing. It was satisfied.

"Thank you, baby. I would have liked more, but like I said- I ain't a complete savage," he purred. She flushed and brushed a tendril of her hair behind her shoulder. He shifted his weight and gave her a meaningful look.

"So now what?" He asked. She flicked her eyes back at him and cocked her head.

"What do you mean, now what?" She replied, lifting a brow. He shrugged.

"We both want the same thing. To take this city down. So what do you say, we do it together? I can wrangle up help from the underground- and squash anyone that would try to stop us. You can get information from the inside- if you don't have enough already. We could take this place down in 48 hours," he said, holding out his hand, the chain around it clinking with a soft malevolent sound, the DNA beads in it glinting.

Sabia scowled and folded her arms under her breasts, shifting her weight to one hip, her tail swishing in annoyance and skepticism. She didn't like the idea of sharing her score with him- he wanted to go fast, and it wasn't her style. She still had 3 more days of her incubation period, and she didn't want to rush things.

"I don't think so, sugar. I was here first, and Sabia doesn't rush. I may have a six to eighteen day incubation period, but once I get started, it's a glorious finish. I don't move like you," she said, staring him down. He gave her a look that she couldn't read, lowering his hand to his knee.

"Come on, baby. Be my Bonnie, would you?" He simpered. "We'll bleed this city dry, and leave it burning."

She flushed.

"Are you asking me out, sugar?" She asked cautiously. He laughed.

"No, baby. I don't settle down, but I'm asking you to work with me. I'm asking your permission to work with you," he said smoothly. She snorted.

"Not if you're just gonna rush me," she retorted. He made a face.

"How long you wantin' to take, baby?"

"I have three more days of incubation at the least. Twelve at the most," she said, daring him to react badly. He didn't disappoint her; he moaned and gave her a look of impatient disbelief.

"Twelve days? What the hell?" He asked incredulously. She shrugged her shoulders lightly.

"Take it or leave it, baby. I was here first, and I'm under cover, able to move around in the open. I have the advantage," she warned. He scowled.

"You sure you have to take that long?" He asked, his voice raising in pitch ever so slightly in irritation. She gave him a Look.

"Take it. Or leave it," she repeated curtly, her tail lashing. "I don't need your help, and I can turn you in to Immunity if you get in my way."

In a single fluid movement, she found herself flung and pinned against the wall, one of his hands on her shoulder, the other pressing the long claw to her neck. She didn't move her eyes from his as the claw heated up against her capsid. He bared his teeth at her, his hair falling over his face.

"You think I'd just let you walk out of here after saying something like that, baby?" He growled in a low dangerous tone.

Sabia slowly slid her own claws to his side, taking advantage of the fact that his trench coat was falling open to either side, blocking his view, and the fact that his eyes were fixated on her face. She flexed her right hand, the long bright red index claw darkening to black. With a single motion, she stabbed her hand at his midsection, stopping just short of piercing his capsid. He grunted and glanced down at her hemorrhaging claw, then down at his fever inducing claw at her throat. Both viruses stared each other down, their eyes narrowed.

"So. A stand off, it seems," he leered, giving her a baneful grin, his eyes narrowed.

"So it would seem," she agreed coolly, never moving her eyes from his.

They stood there quietly, both bristling. They were both Biosafety Level Four viruses, of deadly potency and epidemic capable pathogenic abilities. They were both Alphas, dominant, and used to being in control of their environment, making any territory their own before they destroyed it. Neither one was going to give up or back down, and they were appraising each other silently.

Thrax had heard of her kind before. They destroyed cells, shredding them, but not before filling them with virulent growths that turned the spleen into a solid blood clot, liquidated organs, and caused the linings of organs to slough off. She was a kinder, gentler version of her cousins, Zaire Ebola, Marburg and Nygania Ebola, other hemorrhagic fevers. Though Ebola and Marburg were Filoviruses, and Sabia was an Arenaviridae, their methods were the same: A long incubation period of seven to fourteen days, followed by two to four days of shredding the body and causing it to bleed out.

Sabia was eyeing him carefully. She knew he was an Arenaviridae like herself, but not a hemorrhagic fever. He seemed to be a viral pyromaniac of sorts, and her guess was that he was a strain of viral meningitis. The blue beads in his chain glinted, and she flicked her eyes at them then looked back into his eyes. The hypothalamus. The center of the brain that regulated temperature, heart rate, the balance of water and electrolytes, and the body's drive for hunger. Throwing that organ off balance would cause a human body to shut down and die within half an hour if medical intervention didn't save them- by means of a respirator and defibrillation. She could only assume he was lymphocytic meningitis- a disease that worked quickly and was fatal if not caught in time, with minor initial symptoms that mimicked the common cold before attacking the brain and spinal cord with fever.

Thrax's claw twitched slightly, and she clenched her fangs with an audible sound, her own claw drawing closer. He glared at her and made a small sound in his throat.

"How about we talk about this, baby? We both pull back at the same time and talk this over like civilized pathogens. What do you say?" He asked evenly, his gaze locked with hers. She looked at him doubtfully, but she nodded, her tail flicking.

"Fine, but no funny business," she snarled quietly.

He nodded and they both were still another agonizing moment, but finally they both pulled back at the same time, lowering their deadly claws. Sabia instantly strafed away from him. Thrax smoothed back his hair and put on a calm, but indignant looking expression, watching as she folded her arms under her breasts, cocking her hips and glaring at him.

"Look. I don't like confrontation, sugar," she said coolly, her tail flicking.

"I don't want to hop ship if I don't have to," he replied. "Can't we work together on this?"

"Again. I won't work with you if you're just going to rush me. I don't charge in stupidly. I don't like confrontations, so I gather what I need and move slowly, but precisely, leaving a wake of damage that can't be repaired behind me," she said.

"But twelve days? Baby, that's a helluva a long incubation period!" He exclaimed.

"I said twelve days at the most. I said three days at the least. You weren't listening, which makes me apprehensive about teaming up with you, sug," Sabia said testily.

Thrax looked at her in surprise, then his expression turned sheepish.

"Oh. Sorry, baby. I...guess all I heard was twelve days, and that's a helluva longer waiting period than I'm wanting to wait through."

"Typical male virus," she scowled, then gave him a scathing look. "Look. I didn't want to say anything, because this is MY gig, but there is going to be something big happening in a few days, and it will leave this body wide open for me to move about without much surveillance. My incubation period will be short, because it's a window of opportunity I can't pass up. "

Thrax blinked and looked at her curiously, his head cocked slightly.

"What's that, baby?" He asked, his voice slightly raised in eager curiosity. Sabia shook her head.

"I ain't saying a damn thing if you don't promise to go with my rhythm, sugar," she said warningly. He sighed in resignation.

"A'ight, baby. I don't have many choices, and since you're willing to work with me and not take two weeks, I can behave. Three days is the longest I'll give you before I take off on my own," he said, sounding frustrated. She sauntered a bit closer to him, smiling at him like one would smile at a spoiled child.

"Perfect. Three days it is, then, sugar," she crooned. "Now, here's what's going down. The Chief of Immunity is taking a week of leave in three days- which is what you asked for. My parole officer is his second in command, and will be taking the Chief's position, which means she won't be watching as vigilantly over me. Her protégé, Jesse Gram, will be watching me, and he's an easily persuaded rookie."

Thrax's eyes glittered, and a wicked smile curled on his mouth.

"Really, now, baby?" He asked, licking his lips almost hungrily. She returned the grin, her fangs flashing brightly against her fuchsia lips.

"Really," she replied lightly, still grinning. "It will be so easy to fool him and lose him. Once I do that, you, with that claw of yours, can get us into the brain. I'll start bleeding the body two days prior, so the job will start from there, and while Immunity is searching for the cause of the bleeding, you will start burning the city as we make our way to the brain. I'll even start the bleeding down in the hips and thighs, to give us more distance between them and us."

Thrax's eyes were wide, his smile a frightening leer of malicious glee. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her, spinning her in a circle before setting her down again.

"Baby, you are brilliant!" He exclaimed. He dove in and kissed her cheek before she could swat him. She chuckled, her eyes narrowed and lips pursed happily in anticipation of their conquest.

"We are going to turn this body into a skin bag of hot liquefied visceral stew, sugar. The doctors won't know what hit her. We'll go down as a medical horror story," she crooned. Thrax laughed heartily, the laughter coming from deep in his chest.

"I like the sound of that," he said, sounding wistful. "A medical horror story."

Sabia smiled evilly.

"Now that we've got a plan, let's get to work. Incubation periods aren't spent in idle contemplation. We have supplies to gather, allies to flush out," she said. Thrax nodded, grinning.

"Medical horror stories aren't about viruses that sat on their ass," he said evenly. She smiled and looked up at him from under her brow.

"They're written about the ones that tear bodies asunder. Let's make sure that we bleed this one out, and burn the remains. "


End file.
